The Earth has been around for more than 3 billion years. In all these years, it has encountered an environmental problem known as pollution. Water pollution is a huge problem for the entire human population. In the Philippines, approximately nine million people use unsafe and unreliable water sources. (Water.org, 2019). Water pollution along with improper sewage causes fifty-five deaths a day (The Borgen Project, 2018). It is said that rapid increase in population, urbanization, and industrialization are the main causes of water pollution in the Philippines (Water Environment Partnership in Asia, 2003). Several solutions are already being used to combat this growing problem. Water treatment facilities were built in communities during the Manila Third Sewerage Project of 2004-2010 (The World Bank, 2013).
In the Philippines, Manila Bay is an area of central economic activity. It facilitates shipping, industrial, commercial, and other activities which is why it is also one of the most polluted waters in the country. Another reason for this may be because of its connection to the Pasig River. It is said that about 21% of the pollution found in Manila Bay came from the Pasig River. This pollution is commonly derived from households. (PEMSEA, 2019) Due to the severity of the pollution, the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Project was developed. The rehabilitation of Manila Bay began around January of 2019. Cleanups happened in different areas simultaneously (Rivas, 2019).
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Individual effort can also be exerted to combat water pollution. Homes can come equipped with a water filter system making the house’s water safe to drink and bathe in. However, not all Filipinos can afford water filters. Filipinos find that even the cheapest water filters are difficult to use and afford. There are one million and five hundred thousand Filipino households that have no access to safe drinking water; there are several suggested solutions to this problem. A recently developed pitcher equipped with its own water filter was developed by the Department of Science and Technology. It is made from red clay and has the ability to filter tap water and deep well water. This is a cheap way for less fortunate people to have clean drinking water (Philippine Institute for Development Studies, 2016).
Another study suggested the use of plant xylem from sapwood coniferous trees as a water filter through pressure-driven filtration. Sapwood can filter several liters of water per day, it is inexpensive, and easily accessible (Boutilier et al, 2014).
Similar to using plant xylem, there are several plants that can be used to filter water. Plants such as Golden cannas (Canna flaccida), rushes (Juncus spp.), water lilies (Nymphaea spp.), and bulrushes (Scirpus spp.) are among these.
Bulrushes (Scirpus spp.) are perennial grasslike plants that grow in solitary or clusters. It grows in wet locations such as ponds, marshes, and lakes. It has several industrial uses—food supply, horticulture, basketry and weaving. (Beetle, 1950). It may also act as a filter for it can absorb poisonous metals and toxic microorganisms. This can help in reducing water pollution in the Philippines. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2017). This has been tested in other countries. A study of ponds showed that bulrushes prosper in polluted waters than in clean waters. This experiment was conducted in one of the European rivers by pumping the heavily polluted Rhine River water into one end of an artificially made bulrush marsh. The discharge that came out of the other end, after passing through the marsh root system for approximately one or two weeks, showed a substantial decrease in the quantity of phosphorus and nitrogen as well as an increase in oxygen content. (Seidel, 1957).
Water pollution already has several suggested solutions. Therefore, proper application, management, and funding are what are necessary to finally end this growing problem. The continued increase in water pollution puts billions of Filipinos and the entire world at risk of more health-related problems.
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